Reading a Neil Gaiman story is always a treat. You never know what kind of story to expect and are always prepared to be spell bound. Many thanks to Dark Horse Comics and Netgalley for allowing me to read Neil Gaiman's Murder Mysteries.

Description: Constructing and maintaining all of heaven and earth is an immense task, which God
has divided up amongst the various ranks and stations of angels. As with
any such huge effort, there are bound to be casualties. This unique
passion play sheds light on the hands behind creation, as well as one
lonely man in Los Angeles who gets to hear the whole story of a most
unspeakable crime: a murder in paradise!

Review: Murder Mysteries is actually a graphic novel adaptation of a Neil Gaiman short story. The graphic novel features a story of deception and vengeance involving the first betrayal, the first heartbreak and the first crime in God's own city of angels. The story is captivating and is unveiled in a nice, comfortable pace. Gaiman gives us his own spin on the angels, most notably is the complex and charismatic Lucifier who is seen as trying to under God's way of thinking rather than just a pure evil being.
Raguel is a lost angel, a ragged drifter on the streets of Los Angeles, who tells this story to the narrator, a young Brit stranded on his way back to England. In Raguel's former world, the one in which he had wings, he served as the agent of the Lord's vengeance. When an angel was found murdered, Raguel was assigned to find the killer and his motives. Like an ordinary detective, Raguel gathers his suspects and questioned his fellow angels until he discovered the murderer and then delivered the Lord's terrible punishment. It is not until Raguel wreaks God's vengeance does he realize it was God himself who set up this murder making us wonder about human nature, free will, and what we determine to be justice especially as we see another murder, this time contemporary, that happens as the graphic novel ends.
The drawings in Murder Mysteries are sharp, magical, and a little terrifying which reflect upon the heaven that Gaiman has imagined. Bright colors illuminated a world of purity and divine experimentation. His crisp and vividly rendered drawings capture the haunting sense of loss and isolation Gaiman expresses in this mythic tale of love and jealousy. Rating:4 stars

Words of Caution:Some language, a couple of small sex scenes, and some strong violence. Recommended for mature teens and adults.

If you like this book try: Agnes Quill: An Anthology of Mystery by Dave Roman, Lucifier series by Mike Carey

I still need to give Neil Gaiman's work a try but I'm not sure how comfortable I'd be with reading this one since it's based on the idea of God setting up a murder. It sounds like an interesting read though, Rummanah.

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I am a librarian at Maine East High School. The opinions and content of this blog are my own and are not that of my employer.
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